I had started this morning's hike with no expectations other than a good walk unspoiled by the company of others. I did not expect to get lost, although perhaps that was unrealistic given I always get lost even with GPS and talking maps.
But lost I was and I was so thirsty and tired I wasn't truly paying attention to my surroundings. That's why I literally stumbled on the remnants of what I assume was once a wishing well and now found myself at the bottom of this long forgotten well in a town ramshackle and forgotten far above me.
The ground was littered with coins, bottle caps and the various debris that might be thrown into a wishing well. My phone had no signal, no one knew I was missing, and I was horrible at climbing up ropes. I was well and truly in a pickle.
"Time to figure out how to rescue myself, which should be fun." I noticed how my voice echoed and it sent a shiver down my spine.
I started poking crumbly bricks and soon was surrounded by a pile of dust, rubble, and a now visible hole.
"No time like the present," I reminded myself as I crouched and crawled through the hole. It was dark, creepy but there was a distant glimmer of light in the far distance.
Crawling along a dusty, creepy tunnel on your hands and knees is exhausting. There isn't really enough room to easily shift and change positions, the darkness and stillness makes time seem to move slower, and the air was stale and hot. I would never recommend this as a past time for pleasure.
The air suddenly changed and there was an ever so slight draft. This wee bit of fresh air spurred me onward, the desire to escape becoming more overwhelming with each inch gained. That little sliver of light spurring me forward with its promise of fresh air and escape from the wishing well prison I had landed myself.
After what felt like days, I reached out and touched the gap that allowed the sliver of light to pierce the darkness of the tunnel. I wanted to cry but I was parched and my water bottle had run dry a while ago. I clawed at the crack, desperate to break through the gap and escape the darkness.
The bricks here were in better condition, they didn't just crumble under the slightest pressure. My fingernails tore, and the jagged edges left small cuts across my fingers and hands. Not even pain and soreness was going to keep me pinned in this hole one second longer than necessary.
It took time and effort but at last the hole was big enough for me to scramble through. I dragged my dirty, parched self through the hole and sprawled on the other side gasping for air and panting.
I heard the growl and rumble of laughter behind me...
Comments